Education and learning

Monthly Archives: November 2014

Financial Aid, Scholarships and Grants

State of Illinois Grants and Scholarship Opportunities

Nursing Education Scholarship Program:

This program provides assistance to individuals pursuing a certificate in practical nursing, an associate degree in nursing, a hospital-based nursing diploma, a baccalaureate degree in nursing or a graduate degree in nursing. Amount of awards varies based upon type of degree, type of institution and whether the student is attending on a full- or part-time basis. Top of Page

Competitive Grant for Nursing Schools:

This initiative creates a competitive grant for nursing schools to increase the number of nurses graduating from Illinois nursing programs. The grants can be used for a number of purposes, including but not limited to: student retention programs, increasing faculty, increasing clinical space, creation of an evening or weekend program and tutoring programs for the national nursing licensing exam. This Program is administered by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). Top of Page

Fellowships for Nursing School Faculty:

The Nurse Educator Fellowship Program provides approximately $10,000 fellowships to outstanding nursing faculty in Illinois. to Fellowship funds are salary supplements that, at the discretion of the Fellow, may also be used for expenses related to professional development and continuing education. Faculty members are nominated by their nursing schools. The program is administered by IBHE (www.ibhe.org/grants ). Applications are available in the fall of each year, pending funding.

Federal Financial Aid Opportunities

Pell Grants:

Unlike loans, these loans do not have to be repaid. Generally Pell Grants are awarded only to undergraduate students who have not already earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. Top of Page

Stafford Loans

Unlike loans, these loans do not have to be repaid. Generally Pell Grants are awarded only to undergraduate students who have not already earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. Are subsidized loans awarded on the basis of financial need. You will not be charged any interest before you begin repayment or during authorized periods of deferment. (An unsubsidized loan is not awarded on the basis of need. You’ll be charged interest from the time the loan is paid in full.)

Minority Financial Aid Opportunities

Private Funding and Other Financial Aid Opportunities

Institutional Funding

Each college or university will have financial aid resources available to students. Be sure to contact your education provider for more details and how to apply.

Military Nursing

Service in the U.S. military can provide you one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences and provide opportunities for nursing education. Educational funding is provided for BSN, as well as Advanced Practice degrees in nursing with a commitment to serve in your selected branch of military service. RNs coming into the military with an Associate Degree will be considered enlisted personnel. RNs with a BSN or Advanced Practice degree (MSN or PhD) will be considered an officer. Military nurses work in base hospitals and clinics in addition to providing health care in field hospitals, aboard ship and can even provide in-flight care for air military medical transfers.

The following will information will provide you with links for more specific information on nursing careers in specific branches of the military.

Both men and women have served as Army nurses since 1775. It wasn’t until the distinguished contributions of female contract nurses during and following the 1898 Spanish-American War were recognized, that the justification and need for a permanent nurse corps was established. The Army Nurse Corps became a part of the Army Medical Department in 1901. Since that time thousands of men and women have served as army nurses for our nation caring for the sick and wounded, comforting the dying, risking their lives, being taken prisoner, and dying in the field.

For nearly 100 years before Congress formally established the Navy Nurse Corps in 1908, women worked as nurses aboard Navy ships and in Navy hospitals. As early as the War of 1812, volunteers performed nursing duty in places that were often dangerous and required courage in the face of adversity. In addition to their own service-related activities, Navy nurses provide nursing support for the U.S. Marine Corps.

What Is an IEP?

Written by NCLD Editorial Team

Page 1 of 2

Each public school child who receives special education and related services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Each IEP must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document. The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel and students (when appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability.

To create an effective IEP, parents, teachers, other school staff and often the student must come together to look closely at the student’s unique needs. These individuals pool knowledge, experience and commitment to design an educational program that will help the student be involved in, and progress in, the general curriculum. The IEP guides the delivery of special education supports and services for the student with a disability.

General Steps In the Special Education Process

Contents of the IEP

By law, the IEP must include certain information about the child and the educational program designed to meet his or her unique needs. This information covers topics such as current performance, annual goals, special education and related services, accommodations, participation in state and district-wide tests, needed transition services and measured progress.

The IEP Team Members

Writing the IEP

To help decide what special education and related services the student needs, generally the IEP team will begin by looking at the child’s evaluation results, such as classroom tests, individual tests given to establish the student’s eligibility, and observations by teachers, parents, paraprofessionals, related service providers, administrators and others. This information will help the team describe the student’s “present level of educational performance”—in other words, how the student is currently doing in school. Knowing how the student is currently performing in school will help the team develop annual goals to address those areas where the student has an identified educational need.

21 Things That Will Become Obsolete in Education by 2020

“Within the decade, it will either become the norm to teach this course

(high school Algebra I) in middle school or

– Shelley Blake-Plock

21 Things That Will Become Obsolete in Education by 2020

by Shelley Blake-Plock

Last night I read and posted the clip on “21 Things That Became Obsolete in the Last Decade.” Well, just for kicks, I put together my own list of “21 Things That Will Become Obsolete in Education by 2020.”

1. Desks

The 21st century does not fit neatly into rows. Neither should your students. Allow the network-based concepts of flow, collaboration, and dynamism help you rearrange your room for authentic 21st century learning.

2. Language Labs

Foreign language acquisition is only a smartphone away. Get rid of those clunky desktops and monitors and do something fun with that room.

3. Computers

Ok, so this is a trick answer. More precisely this one should read: ‘Our concept of what a computer is’. Because computing is going mobile and over the next decade we’re going to see the full fury of individualized computing via handhelds come to the fore. Can’t wait.

4. Homework

The 21st century is a 24/7 environment. And the next decade is going to see the traditional temporal boundaries between home and school disappear. And despite whatever Secretary Duncan might say, we don’t need kids to ‘go to school’ more; we need them to ‘learn’ more. And this will be done 24/7 and on the move (see #3).

5. The Role of Standardized Tests in College Admissions

The AP Exam is on its last legs. The SAT isn’t far behind. Over the next ten years, we will see Digital Portfolios replace test scores as the #1 factor in college admissions.

6. Differentiated Instruction as the Sign of a Distinguished Teacher

The 21st century is customizable. In ten years, the teacher who hasn’t yet figured out how to use tech to personalize learning will be the teacher out of a job. Differentiation won’t make you ‘distinguished’; it’ll just be a natural part of your work.

7. Fear of Wikipedia

Wikipedia is the greatest democratizing force in the world right now. If you are afraid of letting your students peruse it, it’s time you get over yourself.

8. Paperbacks

Books were nice. In ten years’ time, all reading will be via digital means. And yes, I know, you like the ‘feel’ of paper. Well, in ten years’ time you’ll hardly tell the difference as ‘paper’ itself becomes digitized.

9. Attendance Offices

Bio scans. ‘Nuff said.

10. Lockers

A coat-check, maybe.

11. IT Departments

Ok, so this is another trick answer. More subtly put: IT Departments as we currently know them. Cloud computing and a decade’s worth of increased wifi and satellite access will make some of the traditional roles of IT — software, security, and connectivity — a thing of the past. What will IT professionals do with all their free time? Innovate. Look to tech departments to instigate real change in the function of schools over the next twenty years.

12. Centralized Institutions

School buildings are going to become ‘homebases’ of learning, not the institutions where all learning happens. Buildings will get smaller and greener, student and teacher schedules will change to allow less people on campus at any one time, and more teachers and students will be going out into their communities to engage in experiential learning.

13. Organization of Educational Services by Grade

Education over the next ten years will become more individualized, leaving the bulk of grade-based learning in the past. Students will form peer groups by interest and these interest groups will petition for specialized learning. The structure of K-12 will be fundamentally altered.

14. Education School Classes that Fail to Integrate Social Technology

This is actually one that could occur over the next five years. Education Schools have to realize that if they are to remain relevant, they are going to have to demand that 21st century tech integration be modeled by the very professors who are supposed to be preparing our teachers.

No one knows your school as well as you. With the power of a PLN in their backpockets, teachers will rise up to replace peripatetic professional development gurus as the source of schoolwide prof dev programs. This is already happening.

16. Current Curricular Norms

There is no reason why every student needs to take however many credits in the same course of study as every other student. The root of curricular change will be the shift in middle schools to a role as foundational content providers and high schools as places for specialized learning.

17. Parent-Teacher Conference Night

Ongoing parent-teacher relations in virtual reality will make parent-teacher conference nights seem quaint. Over the next ten years, parents and teachers will become closer than ever as a result of virtual communication opportunities. And parents will drive schools to become ever more tech integrated.

18. Typical Cafeteria Food

Nutrition information + handhelds + cost comparison = the end of $3.00 bowls of microwaved mac and cheese. At least, I so hope so.

19. Outsourced Graphic Design and Webmastering

You need a website/brochure/promo/etc. Well, for goodness sake just let your kids do it. By the end of the decade — in the best of schools — they will be.

20. High School Algebra I

Within the decade, it will either become the norm to teach this course in middle school or we’ll have finally woken up to the fact that there’s no reason to give algebra weight over statistics and IT in high school for non-math majors (and they will have all taken it in middle school anyway).

21. Paper

In ten years’ time, schools will decrease their paper consumption by no less than 90%. And the printing industry and the copier industry and the paper industry itself will either adjust or perish.

Editor’s Note: A “classic” from the Teach Paperless blog and p reviously published December 2009, Shelley Blake-Plock is a self-described “artist and teacher. an everyday instigator for progressive art, organization, and education. In addition to his work teaching high school Latin and Art History, Shelly is a member of both the experimental Red Room Collective and Baltimore’s High Zero Foundation. ” It will be interesting to see how his predictions fare over the next few years.

FBI Internships

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recruits students at both the undergraduate and graduate level and fosters the next generation of FBI professionals through a number of programs:

Volunteer Internship Program

Honors Internship Program

Cyber Internship Program

Visiting Science Program

FBI Volunteer Internship Program

The FBI Volunteer Internship Program is an unpaid internship program for undergraduates in their junior or senior year, as well as graduate and post-graduate students. This internship opportunity allows students to gain a deeper understanding of FBI operations and the careers available through the Bureau while working alongside FBI employees.

The FBI Volunteer Internship program, which takes place for ten weeks during the summer months (The 2013 program runs from June 3 to August 9.), occurs at select FBI Field Offices throughout the country, as well as the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and the Criminal Justice Information Services in West Virginia.

Upon completion of this summer internship program, volunteer internship programs may then be available at other points throughout the year and at select Field Offices.

To qualify for the FBI Volunteer Internship Program, interns must be: a U.S. citizen; enrolled in an accredited college or university; and classified as a full-time undergraduate Junior or Senior, graduate, or post-doctorate student. The FBI also requires that students have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above and be in good standing with their academic institution.

Further, students must meet all FBI employment standard entry requirements to qualify for the FBI Volunteer Internship Program regarding illegal drugs and must be able to pass an FBI background check, a drug test, a polygraph test, and a personnel security interview.

The FBI recruits interns from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, including (but not limited to):

Music Education

Selection and preparation in music education at Florida State University is based upon an important yet extremely simple premise–it is, that every person involved as a learner ought to have the best instruction possible.

This premise implies that every teacher ought to be committed to the subject of music and its use with people. The strength of this commitment is evidenced by the academic and social behaviors of the prospective teacher in life, both in and out of the university environment, and is characterized by diligence in the pursuit of musical and academic excellence and active dedication to the improvement of the quality of life.

For those who value knowledge, the learning process is perpetual throughout life’s time. To be an effective music educator, one must develop:

the ability to think, and therefore, value and discriminate,

the ability to feel, and therefore, become sensitive to aesthetic qualities in music and life, and

the courage to act, and therefore, translate those abilities to think and feel into overt behaviors.

Successful music educators evidence personal qualities of leadership, intellectual curiosity, and social commitment. They approach life, music, and the teaching profession in a positive, imaginative, and enthusiastic way.

The music teacher attempts to create a respect and desire for musical experiences, teaching people to react positively, listen responsively, and participate in a musically sensitive manner by providing a variety of musical experiences for those who will be consumers of music and those who will be music professionals.

Toward this goal, music educators are stimulated by current research in music to seek, evaluate, and appropriately implement current ideas and developments in teaching music. They promote positive relationships with students, colleagues, and others. They are empathetic with people of differing social and ethnic backgrounds, and demonstrate mature attitudes and values in the operation of the instructional program.

They consistently maximize student opportunities and accomplishments, and minimize self-aggrandizement and teacher dominance. Their public performances are part of instructional programs geared to helping students become sensitive to aesthetic elements in music.

Music specialists must be prepared and eager to teach music to every child: the poor, ethnic minorities, children of the inner cities, persons with disabilities, and the highly gifted.

In addition to personal competencies in music performance, improvisation, conducting, applied music, composing, arranging, analysis, history, repertoire, and other musical skills, they must have competencies in the teaching of music on all levels, nursery school through adult and continuing education programs. They must be exposed to techniques of teaching in the humanities, related arts, and general music areas, as well as, directing performance groups, studio teaching and group applied music lessons.

Musicians are most successful as teachers if they understand current structures, systems, and practices in education. Concurrently, the music educator in this age of educational change and accountability must be able to express knowledge of teaching and learning, through verbal communication (oral and written) and through overt, demonstrable music and teaching behaviors.

A general knowledge and understanding of history, science, art, philosophy, and communication serves to enhance one’s ability to function effectively in contemporary society and facilitates greater understanding of the human condition. The final report of the Music Educators’ National Conference on "Teacher Education in Music" states that general education should:

help the student understand him/herself as a person,

assist in the development of positive attitudes and penetrating insights toward others and the world,

encourage acceptance of change and enable the student to approach new ideas with an open mind,

provide the ability to apply appropriate evaluative techniques and establish an attitude of curiosity, and

provide another dimension for the pre-service music educator by helping the student relate his/her own art to other related disciplines.

The task of structuring and managing a musical environment in which individuals, regardless of ability level, may positively experience, successfully achieve, and hence, come to value the art of music, demands a breadth of knowledge and skills, as well as high levels of perception and sensitivity on the part of the music educator.

The acquisition and development of these abilities requires an intellectual commitment that is realized in daily living and is maintained and strengthened during the years of training and throughout the professional career.

The music education faculty at the Florida State University College of Music is dedicated to the pursuit of these goals, both for themselves and for their students.

Engineering Internships

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) offers Intern positions for college students interested in careers in preliminary engineering, environmental and hydraulics, construction, and traffic.

If you are majoring in Civil Engineering, we invite you to apply for this opportunity to become a Transportation Engineer Intern with WSDOT, one of the nation’s leading transportation organizations. Depending on your interests, education and background, you can plan a career path – from intern to the top of your chosen field. We have many engineering options to offer for a challenging and satisfying career.

What can I expect to gain from WSDOT’s Internship Program?

First Year Interns: If this is your first year in the WSDOT Internship Program, you can expect to gain experience through some or all of the following activities:

Learning the basic functions of surveying, data collection, and project layout through location and construction surveying.

Second Year Interns: If this is your second year in the WSDOT Internship Program, you can further your experience through these activities as well as those listed above:

Operating survey equipment for the collection and layout of location and construction data and staking. Calculating alignments, profiling elevations, and quantities.

Assisting in construction inspection to ensure projects are constructed according to the plans and specifications. Learning to independently inspect minor phases of construction projects such as, small culverts installations, extension of drainage structures and slope flattening; assists in the inspection of earthwork, surfacing and paving.

Assisting in inspection of bridges and structures including performing concrete tests, checking number and placement of rebar, dimensions and alignment of forms; taking measurements and calculating quantities; completing daily records and other documentation.

Reviewing WSDOT Design Manual chapters to help determine what elements in the manual need to be addressed in a particular project.

Assisting designers in preparing project design checklists, minimum standards that may be used, and assist in determining elements of the project that do not meet specific design standards.

What are the Desired Qualifications for Intern Positions?

We will give preference to students who have completed at least two semesters or three quarters (or equivalent) of study in an engineering curriculum at an accredited college, university, or community college.

Benefits: If you become a Transportation Engineer intern, you will be eligible for these benefits.

Summer work experience in engineering

Opportunities to work during the winter and spring break to obtain experience in engineering

Job rotation opportunities

Various leave opportunities

Dependent care assistance program

Employee assistance program

Deferred compensation plans

Training and educational benefits program

Paid holidays

Commute Trip Reduction incentives

Flexible work hours

Credit union membership

Group rate auto and homeowners insurance

Where can I get information about Washington State?

For general information please contact Rafeaah Sok at 360-705-7064 or by email at jobinfo@wsdot.wa.gov.

Take our Internship Predictor ®

Internships.com is the world’s largest internship marketplace bringing students, employers and higher education institutions together in one centralized location. We specialize in helping students and young professionals find the right internship to kick start their career.

It’s no secret that internships are the most effective way for students to gain work experience before graduation. In fact, studies show that 7 out of 10 internships turn into full-time jobs. Luckily, starting your internship search is easy. Simply tell us your college major and preferred location and you can connect with thousands of companies that are hiring interns now.

Whether you’re looking for work experience, want to receive college credits or just need some extra spending money, you can use Internships.com to find paid internships. summer jobs or entry level jobs. Students can even use our Internship Predictor to help find the right job. Best of all, searching for internships is completely free.

Are you an employer looking to find interns for your business? Employers can post internships and student jobs for free on Internships.com. Once you post your job listing, you can find students using our extensive resume database. Employers can access extensive employment resources to help ensure your business has the best summer internship program .

Start your internship search now by browsing opportunities by major, location, or company name. Employers, create an account to post internships for free.

Educate Me was established in 1984 in Sydney, NSW. The company is involved in the creation, production and distribution of in-school presentations to primary schools. The company philosophy is to bring to schools programs which are educational, entertaining, affordable and which are specifically linked to key learning areas of the curriculum. The programs are presented to students through a live performance accompanied by various exhibits. Generally the programs are conducted for the whole school broken down into infants and juniors, intermediate and senior.

Our programs are developed to provide scientific credibility and educational relevance. Over the last several years Educate Me has developed programs which cover the areas of natural history, science and technology and the environment. We would class most of our programs as falling into the social studies area of the curriculum (or Human Societies and their Environments)

New programs are continually under development with the focus on a subject that integrates easily into the school curriculum. The company employs school teachers and educationalists to advise on program content and development and also to present our programs. We operate in all states of Australia and have expanded internationally. In 1996 the company offered its programs to schools in New Zealand and this was followed by expansion into South Africa in 1997, England in 1998 and the Republic of Ireland in 2000. The company plans to introduce its programs to schools in the USA. within the next few years. We estimate that currently our programs are seen by over 450,000 school children in all of these countries annually.

Our programs are presented to students with a large number of display items, some of which the children are able to handle and examine closely. As an example, some of the exhibits brought to schools include the skulls of dinosaurs, a working model of a volcano and an inflatable balloon in the shape of a sperm whale 30 feet long.

In 2000 the company developed a website. As it now stands, the site is purely and simply a method of providing information about the company’s programs. The site address is www.destinationeducation.com

All schools who schedule a program receive a disc containing educational resources. Teachers are able to print out worksheets and learning activities that are specific to the program they have scheduled and there is also extensive research information available to teachers wishing to pursue the subject in more detail. It is the company’s intention to develop lesson plans which will enable teachers to print a complete unit of work on various subjects.

List of 36 Education Slogans and Taglines

Here is a catalog of education slogans that capture the importance and value of knowledge. These come from a variety of educational institutions and existing people who use these slogans to encourage a thirst for learning. Americans believe the current education system has placed the United States in the middle of other nations that show higher scores. This makes raising awareness to the importance of education even more prominent than ever.

Educate! smart is great.

Education – Your Door To The Future.

Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.

Education is bitter but the fruit is sweet.

Education is key, if it’s success you wish to see.

Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

Every child yearns to learn.

Hand In Hand We Learn.

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.

It is only the ignorant who despise education.

Learning Today. Leading Tomorrow.

Learning Today For A Better Tomorrow.

Let us reform our schools, and we shall find little need of reform in our prisons.

International Military Education and Training (IMET)

The International Military Education and Training (IMET) program is an instrument of U.S. national security and foreign policy and a key component of U.S. security assistance that provides training and education on a grant basis to students from allied and friendly nations. In addition to improving defense capabilities, IMET facilitates the development of important professional and personal relationships, which have proven to provide U.S. access and influence in a critical sector of society that often plays a pivotal role in supporting, or transitioning to, democratic governments. IMET’s traditional purpose of promoting more professional militaries around the world through training has taken on greater importance as an effective means to strengthen military alliances and the international coalition against terrorism.

The objectives of the IMET program are to:

Further the goal of regional stability through effective, mutually beneficial military-to-military relations that culminate in increased understanding and defense cooperation between the U.S. and foreign countries.

Impart skills and knowledge that help participating countries develop new capabilities and better utilize their existing resources.

Provide training and education that augments the capabilities of participant nations’ military forces to support combined operations and interoperability with U.S. NATO and regional coalition forces.

Expose foreign military and civilian personnel to the important roles democratic values and internationally recognized human rights can play in governance and military operations.

Training and education provided under the IMET program is professional and non-political, exposing foreign students to U.S. professional military organizations and procedures and the manner in which military organizations function under civilian control. The English language proficiency requirement for many IMET-funded courses establishes an essential baseline of communication skills necessary for students to attend courses. The IMET program exposes students to military justice systems and procedures and promotes the development of strong civil-military relations by showing key military and civilian leaders how to overcome barriers that can exist between armed forces, civilian officials and legislators. In addition, IMET has a positive effect on participants and recipient countries beyond actual training. Exposure to American values, quality instruction and the professionalism of the U.S. military play an important role in the IMET program. Finally, military cooperation is strengthened as foreign militaries improve their knowledge of U.S. military doctrine, strategic planning processes and operational procedures. This cooperation leads to opportunities for military-to-military interaction, information sharing, joint planning and combined force exercises that facilitate interoperability with U.S. NATO, and regional coalition forces.